What in the world?

[Misty Creek]

I think it's the name. My Schatzi is just over a year old and she's still a terror. She tries to be good...well, most of the time. She is simply very energetic and high drive. Although she's great with people, dogs, and cats, she's a HUGE management issue. She can jump anything put in front of her, escape from Alcatraz, and thinks all other small animals are dinner...a problem since we live in a semi-rural area. I'm genuinely hoping she mellows with age...

[MaggieRoseLee]

Originally Posted by lennoxbradley88

So today Schatzi and I got into it. Yup, I lost my patience with this 8 month old brat. The morning started with her not wanting to eat her food. Okay, I let it slide.

I don't even know what you are saying there? I have one dog that is picky and if she doesn't feel like eating, then she doesn't feel like eating. Unless she's sick, it's no big deal. Many GSD's are actually extremely picky eaters and skip meals all the time.

As far as all the other general frustration goes with the training, the problem isn't the puppy, it's you.

I don't think ANY trainer will encourage the mindset we get into when we

She was being such a brat I snapped at her. I got mad, yelled, and cussed her out.

These are LIVE puppies and have good days, bad days, happy day, focused days.

Our job is to USE OUR BRAINS and think how to work thru them. Not snap and get angry putting training out of the 'I love to train with dad' to the 'avoid dad at all costs!'. Course many of us lose our patience, that's normal and to be expected!

But since it's normal and to be expected than we need a BETTER PLAN IN PLACE than going ballistic! Bad behavior from my puppy shouldn't be met with bad behavior from ME!

First of all, how is you foundation with 'engagement' with your pup? Is the bond and training between you and your dog generally like the relationship shown by Michael Ellis in these videos? Engagement - Key to Training

The number one goal before we start up training is the attitude and engagement he talks about. Only AFTER we have that do we start working on the 'sit' the 'stay' and all the rest of the other training. But the main goal once we start the specific training is how to KEEP the engagement and drivey attitude WHILE training.

So if I were you I'd back off training for a bit and just work or getting that fun and bond back with your dog.

[TommyB681]

even at 3.5 Abbi will taunt me. Esppecially when she knows im frustrated she will disobey everything I say. Sometimes Ill ignore her and walk away and then shell follow me and ill get her back

[Narny]

Originally Posted by DWP

She would leave it, only to snatch it away at the last minute and take off running. She would then drop whatever we were using about 25 yards away, come running up to me, siting and waiting on me to go get it. As I got about 10 yards away, she would bolt and grab it before I could get there. Sounds funny now, but at the time it was NOT!

I can just imagine how funny it wasnt lol.

[Sunflowers]

They are energy boomerangs.

If you go nuts, so will they.

Stay as calm as possible, stay matter-of-fact, take deep breaths, and visualize what you want from them. Amazingly, it works much of the time, and when it doesn't, it is time for plan B.

[lennoxbradley88]

Originally Posted by DWP

Eight months old? You said it all right there. We are over two years away from that time with our youngest GSD female. We tend to forget all those frustrations over time. I can remember Kana and training "leave it". She would leave it, only to snatch it away at the last minute and take off running. She would then drop whatever we were using about 25 yards away, come running up to me, siting and waiting on me to go get it. As I got about 10 yards away, she would bolt and grab it before I could get there. Sounds funny now, but at the time it was NOT!

LMFAO! That's funny!

[lennoxbradley88]

Originally Posted by Kyleigh

LMAO ... welcome to a teenage GSD.

Trust me, with patience, time, consistency, patience, patience and lots more patience you'll get through it.

There were times with Kyleigh between 9-11 months of age I would have GLADLY handed her over to someone else to raise - then give her back to me when she was a year!!!!

When he gets like that, stop training. You're only frustrating yourself, he feeds off that and it's a cycle of frenzied energy.

I'm not saying don't train ... just don't train at the moment. Burn that energy off in a fun way - play tug, run around the backyard with him, anything BUT training. Then try again.

He hasn't forgotten any of his commands, he's just testing to see if you REALLY mean it.

This behaviour is EXACTLY why so many dogs end up at shelters at 8-9 months of age!

Hang in there - it does get better!!! All of us with older GSDs can attest to it!

Thank You, I'll start doing that when she starts testing me. Yeah I won't give up on her. At least we are at the stage of her testing me which means the ending of that should be near...hopefully!

[lennoxbradley88]

Originally Posted by Misty Creek

I think it's the name. My Schatzi is just over a year old and she's still a terror. She tries to be good...well, most of the time. She is simply very energetic and high drive. Although she's great with people, dogs, and cats, she's a HUGE management issue. She can jump anything put in front of her, escape from Alcatraz, and thinks all other small animals are dinner...a problem since we live in a semi-rural area. I'm genuinely hoping she mellows with age...

It has to be the name! Never again am I naming my dogs Schatzi again lol. Yeah mine is good with people and with dogs she still gets a little excited, but I's a work in progress. haha escape from Alcatraz. That's funny! lol.

[lennoxbradley88]

Originally Posted by MaggieRoseLee

I don't even know what you are saying there? I have one dog that is picky and if she doesn't feel like eating, then she doesn't feel like eating. Unless she's sick, it's no big deal. Many GSD's are actually extremely picky eaters and skip meals all the time.

As far as all the other general frustration goes with the training, the problem isn't the puppy, it's you.

I don't think ANY trainer will encourage the mindset we get into when we



These are LIVE puppies and have good days, bad days, happy day, focused days.

Our job is to USE OUR BRAINS and think how to work thru them. Not snap and get angry putting training out of the 'I love to train with dad' to the 'avoid dad at all costs!'. Course many of us lose our patience, that's normal and to be expected!

But since it's normal and to be expected than we need a BETTER PLAN IN PLACE than going ballistic! Bad behavior from my puppy shouldn't be met with bad behavior from ME!

First of all, how is you foundation with 'engagement' with your pup? Is the bond and training between you and your dog generally like the relationship shown by Michael Ellis in these videos? Engagement - Key to Training

The number one goal before we start up training is the attitude and engagement he talks about. Only AFTER we have that do we start working on the 'sit' the 'stay' and all the rest of the other training. But the main goal once we start the specific training is how to KEEP the engagement and drivey attitude WHILE training.

So if I were you I'd back off training for a bit and just work or getting that fun and bond back with your dog.

Yes you are 100% right! I know it wasn't her to blame. It was ME. I let my emotions take over instead of using my brain. Engagement is great with her. Pretty much my training consist of a lot of methods used by Michael Ellis. That's how I started my foundation of training. It was just one of those bad days. Today I'll go back to working on engagement and throw in some games with her then add a couple of structure training in there. But mostly it will just be fun fun fun games today. Let her get a break

[I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO]

MRL's post is spot on! Keep training fun, exciting, rewarding, and challenging. Even at 7 years old, when I am training something that bores my dog, he acts up.
Here's an example:
We are training in Nosework, you have to pass a test in order to trial. The test is simple, find the box with the odor in it, among 12 boxes. Well we've been training for a few months, so this is pretty simple stuff. The week before the test, we started drilling him on boxes- What happened? He got bored, tried playing with the boxes instead and alerting on all of them. How did we fix it? We switched up his training, made it more fun and challenging. He loves to search outside and around the house. So we did an outside search, then a box search, then as a reward another outside search.
Result? He passed his test!

So like I said, keep training fun, exciting, rewarding, and challenging! Make yourself and the game you're playing the most fun thing around.